


Sitting in a Railway Station

by Celandine



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Ficlet, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-16
Updated: 2008-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-12 14:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/125993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The afterlife appears to have Dumbledore's sense of humor, Remus and Severus find.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sitting in a Railway Station

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kellanine](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=kellanine).



"Where am I?" Severus said aloud as he gazed around in puzzlement. He appeared to be standing in an extraordinarily clean, tidy, and completely empty railway station, one he did not recognize. He saw no sign giving the name, either.

Although he would have sworn that there was no one else present when he spoke, he was answered.

"I don't know precisely _where_ , but this is the afterlife, if that helps."

Severus whirled around as Remus continued, "What I don't understand at all is why the two of us are here together. I was with Sirius and James and Lily, and then suddenly I was here alone. Until you appeared just now; I've been waiting for at least a week for something to happen."

With lifted eyebrows, Severus said, "Are we to wait for the train?"

Remus shrugged. "That seems to be the thing to do. I tried to leave, but the door out of the station wouldn't open."

Severus had no intention of sitting tamely for some unknown agency to let him leave. He reached for his wand reflexively before it occurred to him that there was no reason to expect it to be there. Yet it was, the polished length of it reassuring.

"Come on," he said abruptly, and Remus followed him to the exit.

"I told you..." he began, but Severus stopped him.

"Take out your wand."

"Don't you think I tried every spell I know?" Remus asked, but he brought out his wand nevertheless and pointed it at the lock.

" _Alohomora_ , on three. One -- two -- three."

" _Alohomora!_ " they said together, and the door sprang open.

Remus's expression was confused. "How did you know that would work?"

"Call it a lucky guess," said Severus shortly. It was more than that, of course; Severus had recognized what must be going on as soon as he'd seen Remus. He'd made something of a study of life, death, and what came after, over the years. They wouldn't be here together, with no one else, if there were not some reason for it, and the most obvious was to demonstrate their ability to cooperate. "After you." He gestured at the now-open door, and followed Remus outside.

Ahead of them a country lane stretched out, hedgerows of hawthorn in white bloom to either side. A light breeze stirred the grasses and a startled sparrow suddenly beat its way across the sky.

Remus smiled. "Looks as though we walk to wherever we're going."

"I suppose so," Severus agreed, stepping forward. Remus caught hold of his sleeve.

"Wait a moment." He put his hands on either side of Severus's face, and before Severus could draw away, had kissed him, a mere gentle brush of the lips that nonetheless left Severus's heart pounding.

"What? Why did you do that?" he stuttered.

Remus took his hand and they began to walk. "Because I never had the chance in life. What more is there to wait for now?"

Severus squeezed Remus's hand. "Nothing at all."

**Author's Note:**

> Written for kellanine at the request of mnemosyne_1, who suggested Remus/Severus, postwar romance, and the prompt "walking together". The title is from Simon & Garfunkel's song "Homeward Bound."


End file.
